New York Farm Bureau endorses day of rest law

Albany, NY -- New York Farm Bureau Wednesday endorsed new legislation that would mandate a 24-hour day of rest for farmworkers.

The bill allows farm families to provide additional work place protections but still allows employees the ability to have a voice in their employment decisions.

The bill would provide, New York farmworkers would get 24 consecutive hours off each week unless they waive that right. If workers are idled by bad weather or crop conditions, that would be applied to the day-of-rest requirement, so that local New Yorkers could still be assured that local produce would be picked and cows will be milked and food provided to the grocery store.

Farmworkers in New York receive average wages of more than $10 per hour, and many workers live in free housing, receive free transportation, free childcare and other benefits.

Both housing and transportation conditions are regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration codes, along with New York state’s separate and strict Department of Health Farmworker Housing code, and must be inspected prior to occupancy at the start of the season.

Farm Bureau still opposes the Farmworker Bill that mandates overtime payments, collective bargaining and the addition of smaller farms into the provision of Unemployment Insurance.